Lake Chalice The Nest Marlborough Pinot Gris

Aromas of freshly-cut pear mingle with citrus undertones on this softly textured and beautifully balanced Pinot Gris.

Producer Note

Lake Chalice was established in 1989 with a vision of producing internationally recognised wines from the heart of the Marlborough region. New Zealand’s native falcon, the ‘Kārearea’, is proudly displayed on every bottle of Lake Chalice wine. Kārearea favour the remote mountains and foothills of the upper Awatere and Wairau valleys and these valleys are home to Lake Chalice’s three unique vineyard sites. Each vineyard has a diverse microclimate, biodiversity and terroir which are seamlessly translated into multi award winning wines by talented winemaker Chloe Gabrielsen. Taking a boutique approach she handcrafts parcels of fruit from single vineyards into elegant, aromatic, fruit driven wines and has garnered a global reputation of outstanding quality.

Vintage

2017 delivered a smaller than predicted crop for the Marlborough region. Cooler and wetter than average conditions meant the vineyards had to be closely monitored; however the grapes harvested were full of the vibrant, fruit-driven characteristics the region is renowned for.

Vineyard

The fruit for this wine is predominantly sourced from selected vineyards in the flood plains of Marlborough’s lower Wairau Valley. The eastern flood plain soils are nutrient rich silty loam, renowned for delivering fruit forward notes. In order to capture the maximum expression of regional characteristics, the pruning, irrigation and canopy management is dictated by each variety and by each unique block of land.

Winemaking

The grapes were immediately pressed to minimise skin contact followed by cool fermentation in with selected yeasts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, in order to capture the desired level of fruity aromatics. A small proportion was aged in seasoned French oak adding complexity to the wine. This wine was blended to be approachable in its youth.

Tasting Note

Aromas of freshly cut pear mingle with citrus undertones on this softly textured Pinot Gris. The palate is beautifully balanced with layers of poached pear, honeycomb and a touch of sweet pastry on the finish.

Serving Suggestion

Serve with mild Asian cuisine, fish and chips or creamy pasta dishes.

Grape

Pinot Gris 100%